Torgo Tours Hong Kong While Dodging Bullets

That Chow vs sunglasses assassin showdown in the climax *chef's kiss*


Yeah, I'm on the same page as you. It's more uneven than Woo's other classics, but it's idiosyncrasies give it personality. And you can't argue with that shootout.

I actually recommended it to my old coworker a while back. I never asked what she thought of the fried rice scene lol

Everything about that scene is so odd, but I love it. While the gangster was probably just trying to get Ken's attention, is it even possible for fried rice to "stink?" I've been to dozens of Chinese restaurants in my life and even the bad ones didn't mess up the fried rice. Like mashed potatoes, it's one of those dishes that's hard to mess up and is still delicious even if it's mediocre.

Oh, and this shouldn't be too much of a spoiler, but as for that botched explosion stunt, Chow Yun-Fat's pained reaction in it is real. Thank goodness we didn't lose him.

I grew up on a lot of the movies in this thread. Ya'll got good tastes.

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"This is that human freedom, which all boast that they possess, and which consists solely in the fact, that men are conscious of their own desire, but are ignorant of the causes whereby that desire has been determined." -Baruch Spinoza

New Police Story -



The sixth entry in the Police Story series is darker, grittier and has less comic relief (it was made in the '00s, after all). Our almost always smiling hero actually succumbs to alcoholism after an assignment that goes very badly, for instance, but he gets back on his feet when he's paired with a new, younger partner and is assigned to take down the gang that brought him to his lowly state. Despite its different tone, the movie maintains the series' quality and has all of its best trademarks such as using more actual locations than sets, chases involving vehicles as massive as the destruction they cause, Jackie Chan doing what he does best, etc. I also like the old school vs. new school angle to the story in that it pits Chan's old school cop against the most 2000's villains imaginable: a gang of video game and extreme sports enthusiasts who call themselves the X Gamers (that's Extreme Gamers, not former gamers). It helps that their leader, Joe Kwan (Daniel Wu from Into the Badlands, Tomb Raider, et al), is a good match for Chan charismatically. Based on how good he is in this, it's easy to see why Hollywood took notice of him.

While the movie doesn't reach the heights of the first entry in the series, it's one of the better late entries in an action series I've seen in a while. I will say, though, that it's the best-looking entry in the series. I highly recommend watching it in the best format possible and on the biggest screen in your house because it would be hard to find another movie that makes Hong Kong look as good as this one does.



When I watched this, I had to track down a region zero DVD, but it looks like it's finally on VOD.

My guy (or gal): Is it wrong to choose a villain? Whether it is or not, I have to give it to Joe Kwan for how Daniel Wu's performance puts a shot in the arm of this franchise.

Like I said, I could watch nothing but movies from Hong Kong from here on out, but I'm itching to go back to my regular rotation of randomness. If any of it is from Hong Kong, though, I'll update this thread.

Hope you're all enjoying it so far.

Enjoying the thread. Police Story: Lockdown is also worth checking out. It's interesting because it's the first mainland entry of the franchise (while Supercop flirted with going to the mainland, it was still an HK production) and it goes for a grittier, Reservoir Dogs meets Die Hard approach.

I suppose it wouldn't qualify for this thread due to it being mainland though.

So watch Crime Story instead. Chan's best dramatic action flick.

Fallen Angels -



I enjoyed this dreamlike, melancholic, and all-around cool Wong Kar-Wai effort as a study of human connection (or lack thereof), not to mention of what life is like in the nooks and crannies of Hong Kong. It follows two of their dwellers, each of whom struggles with a very different impediment to getting close to others. There's professional hitman Wong Chi-Ming (Leon Lai), whose job forces him not to get personal, specifically with his agent (Michelle Reis), with whom they share a longing. Our other lonely man is He Zhiwu (Takeshi Kaneshiro), a professional "business squatter" who is mute.

This movie looks like one that could have been released last week instead of 1995 and this is not just because I watched it in HD. That it’s set in neon-soaked Hong Kong, which looks like a city even from our future, has a lot to do with this, but I also credit Christopher Doyle's unique and innovative camerawork. It's fitting that a shot of He driving his motorcycle through a tunnel is on the DVD cover because the mere thought of those sequences gives me chills. IMDB, Letterboxd, etc. label the movie as crime, but it proves that the best movies have several labels because it could easily be filed under romance, drama, or comedy. The former - especially the unhappy parts of it - is where it succeeds the most, but I have to give credit to the latter label because when it's funny, it's very funny. I laughed hardest whenever He has an encounter with his least lucky and least willing "customer."



As much as I like the movie, it doesn't reach the heights or resonate as deeply as the other two Wong Kar-Wai films I've seen, Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love. For one, I don't love the character of Blondie, an obvious manic pixie dream girl who is a bit too convenient. Also, even though I don't know what I would add or take away from He's story so that it's deep as Wong's, I don't think I'm out of line in saying that I wish I got to know Wong a bit more. The important thing, though, is that the movie successfully explores the paradox of how anyone in a megalopolis like Hong Kong could possibly be lonely. What's more, its optimism that even hard cases like He and Wong have a chance to escape loneliness' crushing abyss is as refreshing as a bowl of ice cream...with a candle in it.

My guy (or gal): He Zhiwu, who's a walking, talking "we've all been there" if there ever was one.

I watched this film long ago as well as Chungking Express. I am a fan of Takeshi Kaneshiro. I love him in "Red Cliff" and he's a good-looking man, imo.

With his floppy hair, he has the ideal '90s male look down pat, doesn't he?
He's also a highlight of House of Flying Daggers.

Yes I know.

It has all the elements needed in a movie. Including heart. It has lots and lots of heart. Which is to say, based on my 10 year old, late, night hazy memory of it, geysers of blood.

Not Shaw Brothers, I believe, but I'd recommend Encounters of the Spooky Kind and Zu: Warriors from Magic Mountain (1983) if you haven't seen them.

Full Contact -



This is a pretty good Ringo Lam effort that I would describe in one word as "sleazy." Besides mostly taking place in strip clubs and dive bars, one of our ne'er do wells is the scantily clad Lau (Bonnie Fu), who wants to get her rocks off all the time. The star of the show, however, is Godfrey (Chow Yun-Fat), the smartest and of course coolest member of his band of thieves. The rest soon learn that he's also the one least likely to take being betrayed and left for dead in stride.

Since it's set in the seediest parts of Bangkok and has a soundtrack reminiscent of a Steven Seagal movie from its era, it's as if Lam and crew wanted to ride his extensive coattails (there are even scenes set in Buddhist temples). Luckily, the byproducts of all this sleaze result in aesthetics and moments that are cool in any era, especially the introductory neon-soaked exotic dance set to Extreme's "Get the Funk Out." I tolerate Seagal's output more than most, but the action is at least better (and less one-sided), not to mention unique since there is more knife than gun play. The coolest action, however, features guns in a sequence where the camera follows bullets as they zip from barrel to target.



All of this makes this sound like a sleaze action masterpiece, but I was bored more often than I would like. While the action is good, there is more cake than frosting, i.e. more buildup and not enough of it to pay it off. The main problem, though, is that it's hard to root for anyone. Chow Yun-Fat is his usual cool and professional self, but despite being more okay with him playing an anti-hero than Hong Kong audiences were while the movie was in theaters - in other words, it flopped - Godfrey is no Mark (or Ken, for that matter). I did enjoy Anthony Chau-Sang Wong's performance and its redemptive arc as Godfrey's hapless ally Sam, but I still had to strain to truly care. There's also some dated and embarrassing homophobia involving thief and would-be magician Judge (Simon Yam), including an eyeroll-inducing moment with a hot dog. Again, it's not a bad movie, so if you're a fan of Hong Kong action and/or stories that question if there is honor among thieves, you could do worse. When it comes to Chow Yun-Fat movies, though, you should check out that other one from 1992 first.

My guy (or gal): I'm giving it to the movie's real hero: the cute Boston Terrier who Godfrey rescues.

The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires -



If its appearance in this thread is of any indication, the Hammer Dracula series ends on an odd note. In addition to swapping Transylvania and London for Hong Kong, Christopher Lee is out and John Forbes-Robertson is in. While strange, one word I wouldn't use to describe it is boring. If your assumption is that it's basically a Dracula movie with Kung Fu, you're right (and if you raise an eyebrow at this, do you hate fun or something)? Drac is indeed in a remote village in China on a quest to restore the titular septuplet to its former glory. Unfortunately for him, Van Helsing is in the country as a visiting professor. With the aid of son Leyland, Hsi Ching - one of the few locals who believes in vampires - a cadre of soldiers and wealthy mission financier Vanessa, they hope to purge the village of its pesky vampire problem.

Those who are interested in this movie for being a Shaw Brothers production first and foremost will be satisfied because there are plenty of fight scenes and they're all up to the studio's standards. Thankfully, there is no retroactive continuity that makes the Van Helsings Kung Fu experts. They hold their own in other ways, particularly in a scene involving a torch. I also approve of how delightfully gross our villains and their henchmen look, especially for how they deflate and crumble to dust when they die. Also, Peter Cushing, as he always does, adds legitimacy to every scene he's in, which must have been especially challenging this time given the unusual premise. As for Forbes-Robertson, he's not in it for long, but I like what he does with Dracula, so much so that I wish Hammer could have let the actor play him one more time.



While I complimented the action, I don't approve of how one-sided it is. I’m talking Steven Seagal one-sided. In other words, it's hard to believe the golden vampires are legendary because they're pretty much pushovers. I did complement Cushing and Forbes-Robertson - David Chiang's Hsi Ching is also quite good – but I don't have much good to say about Julie Ege's Vanessa. Despite one surprising moment, her standard expression is one of disinterest. None of these flaws prevent the movie from being one of the most fun entries in the series, though. When the classic abrupt freeze frame and title display at the 85-minute mark, you're bound to lament that it's the final Hammer Dracula movie whether you've seen them all or if this is the only one you've seen.

My guy (or gal): I know, it's a Jack Palance winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar choice to make, but for all he's done for the series, Van Helsing earns it.

Watched The Iron Fisted Monk and The Magnificent Butcher. Great, cleverly choreographed action and solid comedy, but yeesh, both contained some pretty upsetting rape scenes as key plot elements. It works a little better in the latter, both both movies are mostly lighthearted and these scenes really stick out in a bad way.


But I'll still give both movies relatively enthusiastic recommendations, as the things they do well they do really well. In Sammo we trust.

Did you guys catch this yet?:


Heroic Bloodshed: John Woo on Action with a Beating Heart

You can't go wrong with Sammo, especially in the laughs department. Looks like Butcher is on YouTube.

Yeah, this is shaping up to be a Jackie and Sammo long weekend. Had a really good time with Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon, even though that has way more yikes shit than The Iron Fisted Monk and The Magnificent Butcher, probably because said yikes shit fits better with the overall tone.


And Wheels on Meals and Project A held up really nicely. The latter I'd only seen in an awful English dub so very nice to see it with the original Cantonese soundtrack and a good looking transfer. Will try to squeeze in Project A Part 2 before the day is done.

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Ah, this was a little disappointing. The movie disappointingly tones down the comedy heavily, aside from one great set piece where a bunch of characters are trying to avoid being found in Maggie Cheung's house. And there's a lot of really on the nose speechifying. But this is still prime era Jackie Chan, so the action delivers in spades. Still gets a recommendation, but not as heartily as I'd hoped.